Clamshell bucket



July 4, 1939. c. P. DE BIAS! ICLAMSHELL BUCKET Filed Oct. 22. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A iiorneys July 4, 1939. g, p 55 5mg; 2,164,988

CLAMSHELL BUCKET Filed Oct. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Charles .P ,Fefiz 'alsz' Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in clamshell buckets such as are used on excavating machines.

Buckets of this class when used in excavating in hard material such as rock, gravel, or hard pan, are equipped along the cutting edge thereof with teeth bolted flat thereto. These bolts frequently break off and the teeth become lost. Not only are these teeth expensive to replace but considerable time is lost in their replacement, an item causing considerable pecuniary loss on an excavating job. Also the cutting edges of such buckets frequently fail either by bending at the center or tearing at the corners and this necessitates replacement by new buckets with consequent expense to the operator.

Having the foregoing in mind, the principal object of my invention is to equipthe cutting edge of such buckets with teeth which will not break off and with a combination of teeth, lip and corner reinforcements and lip wearing edge.

My invention also comprehends other objects, as will presently appear when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front edge elevation of a clamshell bucket equipped according to a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in bottom plan.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in top plan.

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a viewv similar to modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a view in bottom plan of the modified form of the invention.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the modified form of the invention, and

Figure 8 is a view' in transverse section taken on the line 88 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, and first to the preferred form of the invention, I designates the bucket having the bottom 2 and sides 3 forming the front cutting edge of the bucket.

According to my invention, said cutting edge is reinforced by a fiat bar 4 of suitable metal ex- Figure 1 of a tending along the bottom 2 and having upturned ends 5 extending for a suitable distance up the sides 3 and around the corners 6 formed by the juncture of said bottom and sides. The rear edge of the bar 4 is slit centrally, and longitudinally, as at I, so that said edge straddles said bottom 2 and sides 3, also the corners 6 with a close fit. The bar 4 is bolted to the bottom 2 by a front and a rear row of bolts 8 and nuts 9 and the ends 5 to the sides 3 each by a front and rear bolt [0 and H.

The bar 4 has formed integrally with the under side thereof a suitable number of forwardly projecting laterally spaced teeth I2. The teeth I2 are of elongated bar-like form with straight sharp beveled cutting edges at the front end thereof. Front and rear bolts l4 and I5 extend through teeth I2, bar 4, and bottom 2 thereby connecting an integral structure of teeth and lip 15 with said bottom. The front edge of'the bar 4 is beveled to provide a cutting edge ll around the bottom 2 extending part way along the sides 3.

As will now be seen, the bar 4 functions as a reinforcing cutting edge of greater thickness than that of the bucket and since the teeth l2 are integral therewith the stresses to which the teeth are subjected by the closing of the bucket are distributed to the bucket not only by the bolts 8, II] and H, l4 and I5, but by the bar 4. Also, any excessive strain to which one tooth is subjected is distributed through the'bucket by bar 4,

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8, a reinforcing bar l1, similar to bar 4, but solid, is provided to fit around the under face of thecutting edge of the bucket 2| and up the sides 26 of said bucket 2|. The teeth 22, in this instance, are flat bars formed integrally with the under face of the bar ll. Bolts 23, 24, 25 secure the bar H to the bottom and sides 26 just as in the case of the preferred form of the invention, the bolts 25 passing through the teeth 22. The'teeth 22 incline to the upper edge ofthe bar ll. This form of reinforcing and tooth assembly may be used on conventional presentday buckets to accomplish the same result, substantially, set forth with the preferred form of the invention.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation, but, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of further modification than as described without departing from the inventive concept, and that right is herein reserved to such modifications falling fairly within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is: A clamshell bucket for excavators having a fiat bottom and sides forming a. front edge, and a combination tooth and cutting edge assembly g memes comprising a fiat bar conforming in shape to said cutting edge and longitudinally slit throughout one edge thereof to fit over said edge of the bucket along the entire length of the same, the opposite edge of said bar being beveled, whereby said bar provides a reinforced cutting edge for the bucket, a plurality of fiat bar-like teeth on the under side of said bar integral therewith and arranged in laterally spaced relation to extend therefrom beyond and below said cutting edge, and bolts passing through said teeth, bar and bucket.

CHARLES P. DE BIASI. 

